Every Time We Say Goodbye
by UnwieldyInk
Summary: TBM SPOILERS / Basically Nico's reaction to Jason's death. Featuring crippling abandonment issues and Will as a confused but supportive (?) bf. Day one for Nico's birthday event on tumblr!


Will piled more mashed potatoes onto his plate before offering the dish to Nico. Nico, sitting right next to Will in the dining pavilion, shook his head halfheartedly, crossing his arms over his chest. Nico had been acting strange all day- he was jittery, nervous and sweaty- and Will couldn't figure out why. When he tried to ask Nico about it, the son of Hades just waved him off and mumbled about how it was "probably nothing."

"Hey," Will tried again. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Nico nodded quickly, but his teeth were chattering even as sweat pasted his hair down to his forehead. "Yeah. I'm just being paranoid."

"About what?"

Nico hesitated. "It's probably nothing. I've just got a bad feeling, is all."

"A bad feeling about what?"

Nico shrugged helplessly. Then, seemingly unable to sit still for very long, he stood up, taking his plate with him to make an extra offering to the gods. His prayer was longer than he usually said, and Will could spot Nico's lips moving as he pushed the food into the fire- strange, because Nico almost always prayed to his father silently.

Nico tossed his now-empty plate into the bin and started making his way back to Will, but he stumbled along the way. He grabbed the nearest table to steady himself, knocking several dishes over. Will was at his side in a second.

"Hey, are you feeling okay? You sure you don't have a fever or anything?" Will tried to feel Nico's forehead, but Nico pushed him off.

"No," he breathed. His voice sounded absolutely horrified. "No, please, no…"

"Nico?"

Nico pushed off of Will and started beelining for the Hades cabin. Will cast a nervous glance at his siblings, but reluctantly returned to the Apollo table.

But he hadn't been seated for more than a minute before a distant _boom_ sounded from the direction of the Hades cabin. Immediately, Will was on his feet, jogging towards Nico's cabin with maybe fifteen other campers on his heels. Will leapt up the steps in front of the cabin and started banging on the door. Gusts of wind blew underneath the door, causing Will's shoelaces to flop around oddly.

"Nico, what the hell are you doing in there?" Will demanded, pounding on the door once again. When he had no luck, Alice Miyazawa shoved her way to the front, practically tackling the doorknob as she telekinetically unlocked it. It _clicked_ audibly, and Will wedged the door open.

Nico was facing the back of his cabin, where a dark mass hung in the air. The gusts were whipping all around the cabin, ripping posters and mussing Nico's hair. He stood with his feet planted, his arms reaching toward the black mass.

"Come on, Jason, stop fighting me!" he grumbled. The campers tried fight through the winds holding them in the doorway, but couldn't. Will's voice was taken away by the irregularity of it all, so all he could do was stand and watch as Nico struggled against some invisible force.

Finally, Jason stumbled through the mass- Will now realized that it was a portal- and the winds subsided to become a dull roar instead of a shriek. Nico lunged forward, trying to seize Jason.

Jason stepped away from Nico, glancing around the cabin as if he didn't quite recognize it. Finally, his gaze focused on Nico. "Hey," Jason said nonchalantly.

"You died," Nico responded bluntly.

"Looks like it."

"After all that nasty business with the war, you have the nerve to go and die on me? What's wrong with you, Grace?"

"Well, you see, it wasn't exactly my decision-"

"Shut up. Just shut up." Nico's hands were balled into fists at his sides, and he shook his head violently as he spoke.

Jason quieted down then, staring at Nico with an unreadable look. "I have a guess as to why I'm here."

"Do you?"

"Yeah. You want, like, last words from me, right? To tie up any loose ends I left behind?"

Nico crossed his arms. "Well, sure, I can take those. But also…" Nico glanced at the ground, then back at Jason. "I have a proposal," he burst out.

"A proposal?" Jason repeated. Nico nodded, and Jason raised his eyebrows as if saying: _Go ahead_. Nico took a deep breath.

"Let me bring you back."

Jason blinked more than twelve times before he could answer. "What?"

"I can bring you back to life."

"Wait- Nico, no-"

"Yes! Let me bring you back!"

Jason hesitated, backing up. "How? What's the catch? I know there's a catch."

Nico bit his lip. "I- I could pick someone awful. Some corrupt government official or something-"

" _No_." Jason's eyes were as wide as saucers, understanding what the cost was without Nico ever admitting it. "No way am I killing someone just so I can live."

"You won't, it'll be me!" Nico insisted. "Your conscience will be clean, I promise!"

"Then I'm not making you do that."

"You're not making me. I'm offering." Nico staggered forward, holding his wrists out to Jason. He sounded like he was begging, but Will could see him starting to get more and more agitated.

"Nico, _no_." Jason turned, making his way toward the portal. Nico's fists clenched slowly, and suddenly his arms jerked forward. He grabbed at the air in front of him and then yanked it back. Jason whirled around and fell onto his knees as if Nico had pulled him physically. Nico struggled to stay his feet.

"I'm going to save you, whether you want me to or not!" Nico shouted, drawing his sword as he edged toward Jason. Jason fell backwards, face slack with astonishment.

"A soul for a soul," Nico mumbled, his voice taking on an unstable edge. "It won't even be that hard. But you are _not_ allowed to die on me, Grace." As Nico approached, blade raised, Jason's eyes flitted around the cabin anxiously. Then something seemed to dawn on him, and the expression on his face darkened.

"Nico-"

"Don't. Don't try to get me to change my-"

"Nico." Jason's voice was quiet. "Isn't this exactly what Bianca didn't want?"

Nico stopped in his tracks, and for a moment the cabin was filled with nothing but empty wind. Then, all the fight seemed to go out of Nico, and his sword fell limply to the ground.

"Low blow, Grace," Nico mumbled to the floor, his voice choked. He took a shaky breath, looking back up at Jason. "'Well, what about Piper? What is she supposed to…?"

Jason shook his head. "We broke up months ago. She's moving off to Oklahoma soon. She's already started to move on. It won't take her too long to adjust."

"What- what about Thalia, then? Your sister, Jason, you can't-"

"She lived for fifteen years without me. She can manage."

"Then what about _me_?!" Nico burst out, suddenly much more animated. His voice squeaked out on the last word. "You were my first friend in- in years, and you expect me to just let you _leave me_?"

A moment of silence passed between them once again, and Jason's eyes fell into a sad sort of understanding.

"Yes," he said softly. "I do."

Nico stood for a minute, stunned into silence. His lips formed half-words, but no sound came out. He looked utterly defeated. Jason stood cautiously and moved toward the portal again. This time, Nico made no move to stop him.

Jason hesitated, glanced back at Nico, and offered a weak smile. Then he turned away and pushed through the dark mass.

The portal and the winds disappeared in an instant, and Nico ducked his head. His shoulders were shaking violently.

"U-Uh," Will finally said. "Maybe we should give him some space."

The campers inched away from the door, some of them casting reassuring glances to Will as he closed it. He turned and approached Nico, resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's just me," he said when Nico flinched slightly.

"Go away."

"Nico, I-"

"Go away! I don't have any room to think about you right now."

Will bit his lip. "How about if I don't talk? I won't take up any of your mental space- I won't say anything at all. Then can I stay?"

"I don't _care_!" Nico broke down in sobs. Will pulled him close, and despite Nico's verbal reluctance, he didn't hesitate a minute to bury his face into Will's shirt.

"It's not fair!" Nico's voice was muffled. "I can help, but they never let me. They always choose to leave me instead."

"Nico-"

"No! My mother, Bianca, and now Jason. I can help. I swear I can. Why don't they ever let me help?" He drew himself inwards, pulling his limbs in and tucking his head down as if protecting himself from some invisible blow.

"Why do they always leave?"


End file.
